“Pat has known that I’ve been excited about this musical for a long time,” Melohn said. “She knew she wasn’t going to get a ‘no.’”

The musical — opening Friday night at the Broadway Theatre — is definitely one of Melohn’s favorites.

But it’s been a while since he’s actually been a part of this “powerful” show.

“I performed in it when I was a kid. I played Colin in the show and that was the last time I got to touch it,” he said. “It has great music and a great story.”

The story, based on the famous novel “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgsen Burnett, is a coming-of-age tale about the loss of loved ones. In the musical, which, Melohn said, is very similar to the book, Mary Lennox is sent to live with her uncle and cousin in England after her parents die of a cholera outbreak in India. Her uncle is still grieving the death of his long-dead wife, and Mary is grieving her parents.

“It’s about a young girl and an adult helping each other through their losses,” Melohn said. “It’s about the loss of her parents and the loss of his wife and what that means and how people overcome these losses; to not necessarily let someone go, but to know they are still in your life and still move on with your life.”

The one main difference between the book and the musical is the addition of ghosts.

“Everyone that died in the book is a character in the musical,” he said. “They are the Greek chorus and provide the story. It’s interesting to see that side. You get to see the people that died and see how they’re doing on the other side.”

View full sizePhoto by Elizabeth RyanThe cast of the Broadway Theatre of Pitman's production of "The Secret Garden" perform a scene from the musical.

The musical first hit Broadway’s stage in 1991 and quickly won over audiences and critics, winning three Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards.

Written by Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon it’s the magnificent music that really makes this show stand out, Melohn said.

“It’s got some classical elements to it. It’s not your typical Broadway-style music. It’s set in the turn-of-the-century, Victorian era and it’s got that sort of sound to it. It’s not operatic, but it moves in a kind of classical way,” he said.

The classical style of the music calls for a cast of extremely talented performers. And there’s no shortage of talent in the South Jersey-Philadelphia area.

“They’re unreal. I’m blown away by them,” Melohn said.

Songs such as “Lily’s Eyes” and “How Could I Ever Know” are extremely moving.

“It’s some of the most beautiful music ever written for musical theater,” he said.

Melohn, a native of New Orleans, moved to the Philadelphia area after Hurricane Katrina hit back in 2005. A graduate of the California Institute of the Arts, today, the acting major teaches theater at a charter school in Philadelphia. This is his third time in the director’s chair at the Broadway Theatre of Pitman. He has also directed shows at Mainstage Center for the Arts in Blackwood.

“I typically direct straight plays. So I needed a musical outlet,” he said.

“The Secret Garden” was the right play for the job. Not your typical happy-go-lucky musical — “this isn’t ‘42nd Street,’ he said — it is, however, a show everyone can relate to.

Loss and dealing with the loss of loved ones is “something that everyone can connect with. And hopefully you will leave in a more positive place,” Melohn said.

If you go: “The Secret Garden” will be at the Broadway Theatre of Pitman, 43 S. Broadway, tonight at 8 through May 20. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at 856-384-8381 or visit www.broadwaytheatreofpitman.com.